Snow in Florida? Rare winter storm hits 'Sunshine State' for first time since 1989 | WATCH

New Orleans: A powerful winter storm has swept through the southern United States, leaving an unprecedented blanket of snow across Texas and the northern Gulf Coast. The storm moved east on Wednesday, bringing heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain to parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas.

In New Orleans, the snowfall reached 10 inches (25 centimetres) in some areas, shattering the previous record of 2.7 inches (6.8 centimetres) set in 1963. The National Weather Service described the event as a "historic snowfall," stating, “It’s safe to say this was a historic snowfall for much of the area.”

The rare snowfall also impacted Houston, which experienced up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) of snow, and Mobile, Alabama, where 5.4 inches (13.7 centimetres) fell, nearly matching its all-time record of 6 inches (15.5 centimetres) from 1895.

Severe impact on transportation and infrastructure

The winter storm caused widespread disruptions to transportation and infrastructure. More than 1,300 flights to, from, or within the US were cancelled by Wednesday morning, with an additional 900 flights delayed. Houston’s airports suspended operations on Tuesday but planned to reopen Wednesday, while New Orleans’ Louis Armstrong International Airport faced nearly complete cancellations before resuming limited operations.

Interstate travel was also severely impacted. More than 100 miles (161 kilometres) of Interstate 10 in Louisiana and Florida were closed due to hazardous conditions. In Savannah, Georgia, a jackknifed truck caused closures on a key interchange between Interstate 16 and Interstate 95.

Power outages affected over 132,000 customers across the region, with Georgia and Florida among the hardest hit. In Texas, transportation officials deployed over 20 snowploughs across the Houston area, which lacks city or county-owned ploughs to handle such conditions.

Rare snowfall stuns tesidents in southern states

Residents in southern states, unaccustomed to snow, marvelled at the unusual weather. In Tallahassee, Florida, Lina Rojas and her dachshund Petunia experienced their first significant snowfall. “This is like … I don’t even know what to call it,” Rojas exclaimed. “You can see it!”

The weather transformed urban landscapes and everyday activities. In New Orleans, residents embraced the rare snowfall by skiing along Bourbon Street, engaging in snowball fights, and sledding down snow-covered levees on kayaks, yoga mats, and inflatable alligators. High school teacher David Delio, sledding with his daughters, dubbed the event a “snow-a-cane,” noting, “We’ve had tons of hurricane days but never a snow day.”

Fatalities and emergency declarations

Tragically, the storm has claimed at least three lives. Two people in Austin, Texas, succumbed to cold exposure, while one person in Georgia died from hypothermia. Emergency crews in Austin responded to over a dozen “cold exposure” incidents.

Governors in Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida declared states of emergency ahead of the storm. Schools across the region cancelled in-person activities, and many shifted to remote learning.

Weather conditions extend beyond the Gulf Coast

The storm’s effects were felt far beyond the Gulf Coast. Georgia’s highways were eerily deserted on Wednesday morning, with icy roads making travel treacherous. In Charleston, South Carolina, the massive Ravenel Bridge was closed due to the risk of ice falling from its cables, a precaution learned from a 2014 storm.

Further north, New York braced for up to 2 feet (60 centimetres) of lake-effect snow and extreme cold, prompting emergency declarations in at least a dozen counties. Meanwhile, in Southern California, dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds heightened the risk of wildfires.

Snowball fights and sledding amid the freeze

Despite the challenges, many people made the most of the unusual weather. Gulf Shores, Alabama, hosted impromptu snowball fights, while children in Montgomery, Alabama, used laundry baskets for sledding. In Houston, residents turned hills into tubing runs using pool inflatables.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis highlighted the state’s extraordinary response to the weather, stating, “Believe it or not, in the state of Florida we’re mobilising snowploughs.”

AP